CARIFTA 2024: Tristan Dorville becomes first EC swimmer to bag medal in 25-17 freestyle

Saint Lucian athlete Tristan Dorville becomes the first Eastern Caribbean swimmer to bag a medal at CARIFTA Aquatics 2024 in the 15-17 50 freestyle. He secured a bronze in a time of 23.70 seconds.

Dorville equalled his own 15-17 age group record in the final in a time of 23.70 to take the historic bronze medal. In the same event, the silver medal was won by the Cayman Islands’ James Allison in a personal best of 23.50, while the gold was won by Bahamian Marvin Johnson Jr in a season-best of 22.96.

The Saint Lucian athlete holds the fastest junior time in the country and the entire Eastern Caribbean. He earned his first title as the EC’s fastest junior at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Israel when he clocked a time of 23.76. This lowered Mitchell’s junior best of 23.81 with Stefano setting that mark earning CCCAN 15-17 Bronze in Trinidad. Initially, Tristan swam 23.70 representing his country at this year’s World Aquatic Championship in Doha.

With this achievement, the swimmer is now looking to become the fastest man from his country.

Before the 2024 CARIFTA Championships got underway, no other Eastern Caribbean swimmer had ever been on the podium in this category. The sub-region has been closest through the efforts of the Saint Lucian duo of Runako Daniel and Olympian Jordan Augier (Rio 2016).

In 2012, Augier stood fourth in a time of 24.33, while a year later, in Jamaica, Daniel also placed fourth in 24.63.

This time, the record has been broken by Tristan Dorville. According to the information, he qualified for the final with a time of 23.84 which had him third heading into the night’s final. The record was another milestone as it was the first time an EC swimmer had recorded a sub 24 second performance in the race.

The previous standard was set by Antigua and Barbuda Olympian Stefano Mitchell. He swum in 2017 championships in a time of 24.05.